ANIMAL CONSERVATION PROJECTS IN INDIA

PRESENTED BY MEENTU PRAKASH

MSC. 1ST SEM

PROJECT ELEPHANT

Introduction• Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) is the largest terrestrial

mammal of India .• Elephant being wide ranging animal requires large areas.• The requirement of food and water for elephants are very

high and therefore their population can be supported only by forests that are under optimal conditions.

• Asian elephants were believed to be widely distributed. About half of the Asian elephant population is in India.

• However current distribution of wild elephant in India is confined to South India ; North East including North West Bengal; Central Indian states of Orissa , South WB and Jharkhand; and North West India in Uttarakahnd and UP.

Project Elephant (PE) was launched by the Government of India in the year 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with following objectives :

1. To protect elephants, their habitat & corridors

2. To address issues of man-animal conflict3. Welfare of domesticated elephants

• Financial and Technical support are being provided to major elephant bearing States in the country.

• The Project is being mainly implemented in 13 States / UTs , viz. Andhra pradesh , Arunachal Pradesh , Assam , Jharkhand , Karnataka , Kerala , Meghalaya , Nagaland , Orissa , Tamil Nadu , Uttranchal , Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

• Small support is also being given to Maharashtra and Chattisgarh .

Main activities under the Project are as follows:

1. Ecological restoration of existing natural habitats and migratory routes of elephants;

2. Development of scientific and planned management for conservation of elephant habitats and viable population of Wild Asiatic elephants in India;

3. Promotion of measures for mitigation of man elephant conflict in crucial habitats and moderating pressures of human and domestic stock activities in crucial elephant habitats;

4. Strengthening of measures for protection of Wild elephants form poachers and unnatural causes of death.

5. Research on Elephant management related issues.

6. Public education and awareness programmes.

7. Eco-development of elephant habitats;8. Provide improved veterinary care for

elephants.

Elephent Reserves:

• There are eleven elephant range areas in the country with 26 Elephant Reserves notified by the respective State Governments.

• There are four elephant reserves in Kerala, viz.,

1.Wayanad ER 2.Nilambur ER 3.Anamudi ER 4. Periyar ER

Till now 26 Elephant Reserves (ERs) extending over about 60,000 sq km have been formally notified by various State

Governments .

Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants ( MIKE ) Programme:

MIKE program started in South Asia in the year 2003 with following purpose –

• To provide information needed for elephant range States to make appropriate management and enforcement decisions.

• And to build institutional capacity within the range States for the long-term management of their elephant populations.

The main objectives of the MIKE are:

To measure levels and trends in the illegal hunting of

elephants;

To determine changes in

these trends over time;

and

To determine the factors causing or

associated with such changes, and to try and

assess in particular to what extent observed

trends are a result of any decisions taken by the

Conference of the Parties to CITES

Mike Sites in India

Mike Sites in India1. Chirang Ripu (Assam )2. Dhang Patki ( Assam )3. Eastern Dooars ( WB )4. Deomali ( Arunanchal Pradesh )5. Garo Hills ( Meghalaya )6. Mayurbhanj ( Orissa )7. Mysore ( Karnataka )8. Nilgiri ( T N )9. Shivalik (Uttarakhand )10.Wayanad ( Kerala)

PROJECT LION

Asiatic lion

• The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica), also known as the Indian lion, is a lion subspecies that exists as a single population in India's Gujarat State.

• It is listed as Endangered by IUCN due its small population size

• The lion population has steadily increased in the Gir Forest National Park, more than doubling from a low of 180 individuals in 1974 to 411 individuals consisting of 97 adult males, 162 adult females, 75 sub-adults, and 77 cubs as of April 2010.

• The Asiatic lion is one of five big cat species found in India, apart from Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, snow leopard and clouded leopard

• The Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Western Gujarat is the only habitat for the Asiatic lion where an area of 1,412.1 km2 (545.2 sq mi) was declared as a sanctuary for their conservation in 1965.

• Later on 1975 it was declared as national park covering an area of 258.71 km2 (99.89 sq mi) was established where no human activity is allowed.

Five protected areas currently exist to protect the Asiatic lion:

1. Gir Sanctuary,2. Gir National Park, 3. Pania Sanctuary, 4. Mitiyala Sanctuary, 5. Girnar Sanctuary.

• The first three protected areas form the Gir Conservation Area, a 1,452 km2 (561 sq mi) forest block that represents the core habitat of the Asiatic lion.

• The other two sanctuaries, Mitiyala and Girnar, protect satellite areas within dispersal distance of the Gir Conservation Area.

Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project

• The Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project is an initiative of the Indian Government to provide safeguards to the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) from extinction in the wild by means of reintroduction.

• The project aims to establish a second independent population of Asiatic Lions at the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary (total area 344.68 sq km and its buffer area streches upto 1269 sq km ) in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

• The proposed project was of 20 years (1995-2015) with three phases: pre-translocation phase (1995-2000 ), translocation and population build up phase (2000- 2005), follow up and consolidation phase (2006- 2015).

Rhinoceros Conservation in IndiaThe Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), also called the greater one-horned rhinoceros

and Indian one-horned rhinoceros.Listed as a vulnerable species, the large

mammal is primarily found in north-eastern India's Assam and in protected areas in the

Terai of Nepal, where populations are confined to the riverine grasslands in the foothills of the

Himalayas.

The rhino's single horn is present in both males and females, but not on newborn young.

Why support this programme

• There are only approximately 3,333

Greater one-horned rhinos left in the world (as at 31

December 2012), with about 75% of those found

in the Indian state of Assam

• Today, more than 3,000 rhinos live in the wild.

• In 2014, 2,544 of which are found in India's Assam alone, an increase by 27 percent since 2006, although in early 1900s, Assam had about 200 rhino only

• It is the fifth largest land animal.

One-horned rhinos once ranged across the entire

northern part of the Indian Subcontinent, along

the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra River basins,

from Pakistan to the Indian-Burmese border, including

Bangladesh and the southern parts of Nepal and

Bhutan.Indian rhinoceros range

Populations

• In 2007, the total population was estimated to be 2,575 individuals, of which 2,200 lived in Indian protected areas:

• in Kaziranga National Park: 2329 (2012 estimate)— increased from 366 in 1966

• in Jaldapara National Park: 108• in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary: 81• in Orang National Park: 68 • in Gorumara: 27• in Dudhwa National Park: 21• in Manas National Park: 19• in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary: 2

Indian Rhino Vision 2020

• Overview • IRV 2020 is a partnership between the Assam Forest

Department, the Bodoland Territorial Council, WWF, IRF, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

• The programme aims to: Increase the total rhino population in Assam to about 3000 by the year 2020

• Its goal is to have a wild population of at least 3,000 Greater one-horned rhinos in the Indian state of Assam – spread over seven protected areas – by the year 2020.

• IRV 2020 is an ambitious rhino range and population expansion programme.

• Through the concentrated efforts of the IRV2020 programme, the species is increasing in number once again.• IRV 2020 is an exceptionally

significant and inspirational programme.

PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD

• Goal: To safeguard and conserve India’s unique natural heritage of high altitude wildlife populations and their habitats by promoting conservation through participatory policies and actions.

• DRAFTED BY: Project Snow Leopard Committee instituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, (vide Notification No. F.No., 15-5/2006 WL I, Dated 31 July 2006)

• Location: All biologically important landscapes in the Himalayan high altitudes in the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Project Snow Leopard Launched 20-January, 2009

Project Operational in Five Himalayan States viz. 1. Jammu & Kashmir, 2. Himachal Pradesh, 3. Uttarakhand, 4. Sikkim, 5. Arunachal Pradesh.

SNOW LEOPARDPanthera uncia

• The snow leopard (Panthera uncia syn. Uncia uncia) is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because as of 2003, the size of the global population was estimated at 4,080-6,590 adults, of which fewer than 2,500 individuals may reproduce in the wild.

SNOW LEOPARDPanthera uncia

• The Snow Leopard is the flagship species for some of the most spectacular mountains in Central Asia including the Himalaya, Tian Shan and Karakorum.

• Snow Leopards are famed for their long tail, thick spotted fur, and ability to hunt down sheer cliffs; but unfortunately even here, on the ‘roof of the world’ Snow Leopards are endangered due to threats that include poaching and persecution by local herding communities.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

• The goal of Project Snow Leopard is to safeguard and conserve India’s unique natural heritage of high altitude wildlife populations and their habitats by promoting conservation through participatory policies and actions.

• Promote local capacity, conservation education and awareness.

• Reduce existing anthropogenic pressures on natural resources.

• Promote better understanding and management of human-wildlife conflicts

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

• Facilitate a landscape-level approach to wildlife conservation.

• Rationalize the existing protected area network and improve protected area management

Broad Geographical Setting within Himachal Pradesh

• In Himachal Pradesh, the areas included under the scope of the Project Snow Leopard (above 3000 m) are Lahaul, Spiti, Pangi, Kinnaur, Upper Chamba (especially Bharmour), Upper Kangra (Bara Bhangal), Upper Kullu (Mantalai, Pin Parvati, upper Great Himalayan NP, upper Manali), and Upper Shimla (Rupi Bhabha, Dodra Kwar).

• The snow leopard is the state animal of Himachal Pradesh.

Snow leopard

Conservation status

• Numerous agencies are working to conserve the snow leopard and its threatened mountain ecosystems.

• These include the Snow Leopard Trust, the Snow Leopard Conservancy, the Snow Leopard Network, the Cat Specialist Group and the Panthera Corporation.

• These groups and numerous national governments from the snow leopard’s range, nonprofits and donors from around the world recently worked together at the 10th International Snow Leopard Conference in Beijing.

• Their focus on research, community programs in snow leopard regions, and education programs are aimed at understanding the cat's needs, as well as the needs of the villagers and herder communities affecting snow leopards' lives and habitat.

Population and protected areas

• The total wild population of the snow leopard was estimated at 4,510 to 7,350 individuals.

• In 1972, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) placed the snow leopard on its Red List of Threatened Species as globally "Endangered"; the same threat category was applied in the assessment conducted in 2008.

• There are also approximately 600 snow leopards in zoos around the world.

Protected areas in India• Hemis National Park, in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir,

India• Nanda Devi National Park, in state of Uttarakhand,

India, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site• Valley of Flowers National Park, Uttarakhand, India, a

UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site• Sacred Himalayan Landscape, Nepal, India, Bhutan• Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary, near Anini, India• Pin Valley National Park, Lahaul Spiti,

Himachal Pradesh, India • Great Himalayan National Park, Kullu, Himachal

Pradesh, India

Project Crocodile

• Biological information on crocodiles• The crocodiles are large aquatic tetrapod

reptiles. They live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. They are cold-blooded creatures.

• The crocodiles occur mostly in freshwater habitats such as rivers, lakes, wetlands and sometimes in brackish water. They feed mostly on vertebrates – fish, reptiles, and mammals.

•Crocodiles, Alligators and Gharials are the world’s largest and most riveting reptiles. These cold-blooded creatures are also great survivors and lingered unchanged since prehistoric period — enduring break-up of continents and the ice ages. They have witnessed the rise and fall of the dinosaurs and have even seen the evolution of mammals and birds. However, 17 out of the 23 species of crocodilians around the world are endangered today due to man’s folly.• We in India do not have alligators, instead have three species of crocodiles and one of which is unique to Indian subcontinent is the gharial. •The adult male has a bump at the end of the snout resembling an earthen pitcher or ghara , hence the name Gharial(Gavialis gangeticus).• The other two are the mugger or swamp crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris) found in freshwater and the salt water or estuarine crocodiles ( Crocodylus porosus)

•In 1970, it was estimated that a mere 100 gharials survived in the wild. While larger numbers of saltwater crocodiles and muggers were known to exist, they were not enough to avoid the extinction of the species. By the time crocodile hunting was banned in India in 1972, all three species were on the verge of extinction.

• The Indian government subsequently accorded protection under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

Conservation•By 1976, the estimated total population of wild gharials had declined from what is thought to have been 5,000 to 10,000 in the 1940s to less than 200, a decline of about 96%. The Indian government subsequently accorded protection under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.•In 1997, the total population was estimated at 436 adult gharials that had declined to 182 in 2006. This drastic decline has happened within a period of nine years, well within the span of one generation, and qualifies the gharial for Critically Endangered listing by the IUCN. Estimates from population surveys carried out in 2007 indicated 200–300 breeding adults left in the world.

•The project arose from a proposal for development of vrocodile farming industry in india. Dr. H.R. Bustard , an Fao expert on crocodile breeding and management was invited as a consultant to the country in 1974. Based upon his advice the project was initiated on 1.4.1974.

•Work on project was begun on 1.4.1974 in Odisha. Gharial eggs were hatched for the first time in capativity anywhere in the world at Tikerpada, Distt. Dhenkanal, Odisha in june 1975.

In situ initiatives•Project Crocodile began in 1975 under the auspices of the Government of India with the aid of the United Nations Development Fund and Food and Agriculture Organization. •Sixteen crocodile rehabilitation centers and five crocodile sanctuaries including the National Chambal Sanctuaryand Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary were established in India between 1975 and 1982. By 2004, 12,000 gharial eggs had been collected from wild and captive-breeding nests, and over 5,000 gharials reared to about a meter or more in length and released into the wild. But in 1991, funds were withdrawn for the captive-breeding and egg-collection programs. In 1997–1998, over 1,200 gharials and over 75 nests were located in the National Chambal Sanctuary, but no surveys were carried out between 1999 and 2003

•In December 2010, the then Indian Minister for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, visited the Madras Crocodile Bank with Romulus Whitaker, and announced the formation of a National Tri-State Chambal Sanctuary Management and Coordination Committee for gharial conservation on 1,600 km2(620 sq mi) of the National Chambal Sanctuary along the Chambal River in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh• The committee will comprise representatives of three states' Water Resources Ministries, states' Departments of Irrigation and Power, Wildlife Institute of India, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, the Gharial Conservation Alliance, Development Alternatives, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Worldwide Fund for Nature.

•Funding for this new initiative will be mobilized as a subscheme of the ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats’ in the yearly amount of 50–80 million Indian rupees (US$ 1 million to 1.7 million) for five years

•Some captivities are-the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Jawaharlal NehruBiological Park in Bokaro Steel City,Bannerghatta Zoo in Bangalore, Junagadh Zoo and Biological Park Itanagar

gharial crocodile

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